Accounting and filing system



Feb. 5, 1952 H. WESTON 2,584,174

ACCOUNTING AND FILING SYSTEM Filed June 3, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET l I II I I If I \I I/ l H I 1. I\ i 6 f '3 +A f '2 I I I l I I I I I I I I I l l 13 l l i i I l I l I 1 l I I5 I l i L j] 5| r' I r5| 13 l r {"5} z I l I l l l I I I I I I I l I I I I g I I 'I I I, l i I 1 I I I l I I l I l l I l :I l i I I I I l I I I l I I I l I l ATTORNEYS Feb. 5, 1952 H, WESTON 2,584,174

ACCOUNTING AND FILING SYSTEM Filed June 5, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVEN OR TTORNEYS Patented Feb. 5, 1952 ACCOUNTING AND FILING SYSTEM Herbert Weston, New York, N. Y., assignor to Visirecord, Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 3, 1950, Serial No. 165,967

4 claims. 1

This invention relates to card indexes or card registers of the type in which the cards are arranged in horizontal echelon and in which the cards are arranged in groups separated from each other by dividers.

As is well known, in such filing systems, the lower edges of the cards are provided with slots adapted to coact with spacing members in the filing cabinet whereby each card is spaced laterally from the adjacent card to expose a pori tion of each card on which suitable identifying entries are made. The upper edge of each card may also be provided with suitable marking which is normally covered by the adjacent card but which is exposed when the adjacent card is removed from the cabinet out indication or signal.

In such systems, groups of cards are generally separated from adjacent groups by dividers and thereby giving a card the groups may further be divided into sub groups by intermediate dividers. The present invention is directed to the construction of the divider. To protect the upper edge of the cards from wear, the dividers generally extend upwardly beyond the tops of the cards. If the dividers are made of cardboard, sheet metal or any of the usual materials, this results in a decrease in visibility and is, therefore, a disadvantage.

In the patent to Bosse No. 2,192,178, granted March 5, 1940, there is disclosed and claimed a divider construction in which the upper edge portion is transparent. This permits the divider to extend beyond the edges of the cards to protect them and at the same time permits index markings and the like to be seen through the transparent portion of the divider.

The present invention constitutes an improvement over the transparent divider of the Bosse patent. Dividers are generally provided with end rails of greater thickness than the sheet material of which the body portion of the divider is formed. These end rails are, therefore, in contact with each other and the cards occupy the space between the sheet material or body of the divider extending between the end rails at opposite sides. In the Bosse construction the transparent upper portion of the divider extends upwardly in the same plane as the body portion which provides an open space at the top.

In the present invention the body portion of the divider is preferably made of an opaque material, such as sheet metal or the like. The upper edge is formed of a transparent plastic and extends upwardly a slight distance in theplane of the body portion of the divider and then curves rearwardly. Thejcard out indications on the upper edges of the cards are visible through the straight lower portion of the ,upper edge of the divider and"other indicators, such as index members, mounted on the intermediate dividers, are visible through the curved portion of the upper edge of. the divider. This curved portion may be shaped, in cross section, to produce magnification to facilitate reading of the indexes and the like.v

The shape of the upper edge of the divider not only provides for magniiication and better reading of the index membersbut it also substantially covers the otherwise open` spaceV and thereby renders the filing cabinet member dust-prooi. It eliminates to a great extent dropping of paper clips, cigarette ashes and the like into the le.

As a further feature of the invention, the rear face of the transparent portion of the divider may .be flat and may be provided with channels at its upper and lower edges to receive index tabs or cards. As the index tab is slidable in these channels, they may be positioned at any desired point transversely of the divider.

Ii the end rails are made of a plastic material which is relatively noninammable, such as Tenite II (a product of the Tennessee Eastman Co.), and a metal cabinet is employed, the cards,

are substantially protected from re. In case of ire, the upper curved portion of the divider melts slightly and covers the space between the divider and the next divider, thereby cutting oii supply of air to this space and preventing the cards from burning.

In the accompanyingdrawings I have shown several embodiments ofthe invention. In this showing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a divider and an assembled group of registry cards, the cards being indicated in dotted lines; 4

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken near one edge of the divider and showing a method of supporting an index member;

Fig. 4 is'a perspective view of a number of dividers, groups of cards, and intermediate dividers assembled showing index members on the intermediate dividers:

Fig. 5 is a detailed, sectional view showing the end rail construction; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale illustrating theassembly of the end rail and the body portion ofthe divider, and showing a modification of the divider.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral I designates generally the bottom of a i'll ing cabinet or case in which the cards are ar ranged. This case is provided with a plurality of aligning or positioning members 2 extending from the front to the rear of the oase. These members are adapted to be received in slots 3 in the bottom of the cards and in ling, the cards are positioned in echelon with the edge of each card C spaced a distance from the edge of the adjacent card as indicated at 5. On the upper edge of each card inwardly from the inclined edge 6 a distance equal to the normal spacing betweenv two cards, a signal or indication 'I is provided which, when visible, indicates that one card has been removed. Thus, in Fig. 1 it will be noted that the space between the edges of the third and fourth cards from the left is twice as great as that between the rest of the cards indicating a missing card. This exposes the "card out signal l' on the fourth card whereas in connection with the other cards,

such signal is covered by the adjacent card.

The divider whichconstitutes the main Ifc-:ature ci the present invention is represented generally by the reference numeral Il) and consists of ka body portion I I, a transparent upper edge portion i2 and end rails I3. The body portion may be cade of any suitable material, such as fire-prooi board, metal or the like. It is thus generally opaque. To provide for the proper visibility and the same time protect the upper edges of the cards, the transparent strip `I? is secured to the upper edge of the body portion. As shown, the body portion may be offset as at I 4 and the strip I2 may be secured in front of this offset portion substantially flush with the front surface of the body portion. It may be secured to the body portion in any suitable manner as by rivets I5. The strip I2 includes a portion i6 extending upwardly in the same plane as the body portion of the divider and a portion I'I which is curved rears wardly toward thel next divider. This portion may be shaped as indicated in Figs. 2, 3, and 6 ci the drawings to form a magnifying lens.

end rails I3 may be of suitable form but are generally of greater width or'thickness than the sheet material from which the body of the divider is made, and when a number of them ,are placed in a cabinet, form a substantially solid or continuous side wall as shown in Fig. 4

of the drawings, the groups of cards being arf ranged in the spaces between the body portions of the two adjacent dividers, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Where large groups ci cards are filed, intermediate dividers I8 are arranged between sub groups and these intermediate dividers have suitable index members I9 on their upper edges which are visible through the curved portion Il of the upper edge of the transparent portion of the divider.

Adjacent the edgesof a divider, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, an index member 20 may be positioned. This Amay be accomplished by placing a second curved strip 2I of the same material of which the strip I2 is formed in the rear ci the strip I2 forming a spaced between the two strips into which the index member may be slipped. Y

rline body portion of the divider may be secured tothe end rail in any suitable manner. In the drawing I have shown the end rail substantially channel shaped having a front leg 22 and rear leg If the body portion of the divider is made of metal, such as aluminum, each side edge may be bent upon itself, as shown at 24. The leg 22 may be molded with a space 25 into which the edge 24 is inserted and after this edge of the body of the divider has been inserted, the material forming the end rail may be heated to soften it and mold it over the end of the section 24.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the transparent upper edge member I2 not only provides visibility but also provides magnidcation through the curved Vportion I'I to increase the visibility of the index members I9 on the intermediate dividers the card out" signals or other information on the upper edges of the cards, and the main index numbers 20. It also protects the interior of the cabinet from accidental dropping of paper clips, pins and the like, into the cabinet. In case of re, as this strip softens, it moves downwardly toward the tops of the cards and forms a substantially closed top. With a file cabinet built of metal and preferably with a double walled bottom and with the side edges closed by the end rails, which may also be made of non-inammable plastic materials, cards are thus protected against destruction by re. Any of the available plastics which are transparent and will soften at elevated temperatures may be used.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 o the drawing, the transparent strip I2 comprises a portion 26 extending upwardly in the plane of the body portion of the divider as heretoiore described, and a portion 2 1 that extends rearwardly. The front face of the portion 21 may be shaped to function as a magnifying means. The rear face 28 is arranged in a single plane. At its upper and lower edges, the rear face is provided with channels or guides 29 to receive the edge of an index member. The index member may be slipped into position with its upper and lower edges in these channels. As the channels extend the full length of the divider, or entirely across the filing cabinet, two or more index members mounted on dividers in the cabinet may be positioned laterally so that one in -iront of another does not conceal it from View.

This application is a continuation-impart of my application Serial No. 126,733, led Novem- Yber 12, 1949, now abandoned.

Iclaim:

l. In a card registry, a plurality of dividers, the dividers comprising end rails of appreciable thickness and sheets connecting the end rails, the end rails when assembled forming substantially solid side walls and forming spaces between the sheets for the reception of cards, the upper portions of the sheets forming the body of the dividers being of transparent material, said transparent portions extending upwardly and rearwardly and being of thermoplastic material, said transparent portions in their upward and rearward direction having a length at least substantially as great as the width of the spaces between the sheets in a-directon normal to the surfaces of the sheets, and a length in s'aid direction sufficient that when said transparent portions are heated above their softening point they will sag and substantially bridge the upper portion of the space between the sheets.

2. A card registry as deiined in claim 1 in which the rearwardly-extending section ofthe trans.- parent upper portion is shaped to form a magnifying means.

3. A card registry as dened in claim 1 in which a second strip of transparent material similarly shaped to the transparent upper portion of the divider is secured to the body portion of the divider and is spaced from the transparent upper portion to form a space to receive an index number.

4. A card registry as defined in claim 1 in which the rear face of the rearwardly-extending part of the transparent upper portion is flat and is provided with a longitudinally-extending channel to receive an index member.

HERBERT WESTON.

REFEREN CES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Rand Feb. 18, 1919 Bosse Mar. 5, 1940 Jones July 8, 1941 Weston Jan. 4, 1949 Jones Oct. 24, 1950 

